Rotherham United v Scunthorpe United: Home run within reach for Millers ahead of Iron test

Rotherham United boss Paul Warne. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

You have to go back to the late winter of 2001 for the last occasion that the Millers won five home league matches on the trot – but a first will be on the cards today if they beat Scunthorpe, the hosts having never achieved that accomplishment since moving to the AESSEAL New York Stadium in the summer of 2012.

The Millers’ run of four successive league wins on home soil has featured some dominant performances against Oldham, Walsall and Bury, allied to a bit of graft and resolve to see off Northampton last time out, but manager Paul Warne acknowledges the extent of the threat today.

United host eighth-placed Iron who are showing their mettle again towards the business positions in League One with Warne admitting that their consistency at League One level is something to which they can aspire.

He said: “I do not look at it like if we beat Scunny, everyone will think we are great. Every home game to me seems a big game. If we play Oldham, everyone turns up thinking we should beat them. It is just pressure, but a different sort. It is more the fact I do not want us to let ourselves down.

“Hopefully the fans will turn up in numbers and get behind the lads and we can put a performance in.

“They (Scunthorpe) are a bit of a blueprint for this league really, they have been in it a while.

“They have got a bit of youth and a bit of experience. They are always going to be top eight, the manager has got them really well organised.

“They are a hard team to break down, so I will prepare a team to try and do that.”

Warne admits that he has a big decision to make in goal as to whether he will restore loanee Marek Rodak following his international commitments with Slovakia after Richard O’Donnell’s solid outing in his comeback league match at Spotland last weekend, where he kept a clean sheet.

Warne added: “He (O’Donnell) is competing with Rodak; it is a level playing field and since he has come in, he has done really well.

“It is a tough one. Whoever I put in, I will be happy with that, so will continue to discuss that as we have done for the last three days.”